Whether Determinate Things Are Required for a Sacrament?
Objection 1: It seems that determinate things are not required for a
sacrament. For sensible things are required in sacraments for the
purpose of signification, as stated above (A. 4). But nothing hinders
the same thing being signified by divers sensible things: thus in
Holy Scripture God is signified metaphorically, sometimes by a stone
(2 Kings 22:2; Zech. 3:9; 1 Cor. 10:4; Apoc. 4:3); sometimes by a
lion (Isa. 31:4; Apoc. 5:5); sometimes by the sun (Isa. 60:19, 20;
Mal. 4:2), or by something similar. Therefore it seems that divers
things can be suitable to the same sacrament. Therefore determinate
things are not required for the sacraments.
Obj. 2: Further, the health of the soul is more necessary than that
of the body. But in bodily medicines, which are ordained to the
health of the body, one thing can be substituted for another which
happens to be wanting. Therefore much more in the sacraments, which
are spiritual remedies ordained to the health of the soul, can one
thing be substituted for another when this happens to be lacking.
Obj. 3: Further, it is not fitting that the salvation of men be
restricted by the Divine Law: still less by the Law of Christ, Who
came to save all. But in the state of the Law of nature determinate
things were not required in the sacraments, but were put to that use
through a vow, as appears from Gen. 28, where Jacob vowed that he
would offer to God tithes and peace-offerings. Therefore it seems
that man should not have been restricted, especially under the New
Law, to the use of any determinate thing in the sacraments.
_On the contrary,_ our Lord said (John 3:5): "Unless a man be born
again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom
of God."
_I answer that,_ In the use of the sacraments two things may be
considered, namely, the worship of God, and the sanctification of
man: the former of which pertains to man as referred to God, and the
latter pertains to God in reference to man. Now it is not for anyone
to determine that which is in the power of another, but only that
which is in his own power. Since, therefore, the sanctification of
man is in the power of God Who sanctifies, it is not for man to
decide what things should be used for his sanctification, but this
should be determined by Divine institution. Therefore in the
sacraments of the New Law, by which man is sanctified according to 1
Cor. 6:11, "You are washed, you are sanctified," we must use those
things which are determined by Divine institution.
Reply Obj. 1: Though the same thing can be signified by divers signs,
yet to determine which sign must be used belongs to the signifier.
Now it is God Who signifies spiritual things to us by means of the
sensible things in the sacraments, and of similitudes in the
Scriptures. And consequently, just as the Holy Ghost decides by what
similitudes spiritual things are to be signified in certain passages
of Scripture, so also must it be determined by Divine institution
what things are to be employed for the purpose of signification in
this or that sacrament.
Reply Obj. 2: Sensible things are endowed with natural powers
conducive to the health of the body: and therefore if two of them
have the same virtue, it matters not which we use. Yet they are
ordained unto sanctification not through any power that they possess
naturally, but only in virtue of the Divine institution. And
therefore it was necessary that God should determine the sensible
things to be employed in the sacraments.
Reply Obj. 3: As Augustine says (Contra Faust. xix), diverse
sacraments suit different times; just as different times are
signified by different parts of the verb, viz. present, past, and
future. Consequently, just as under the state of the Law of nature
man was moved by inward instinct and without any outward law, to
worship God, so also the sensible things to be employed in the
worship of God were determined by inward instinct. But later on it
became necessary for a law to be given (to man) from without: both
because the Law of nature had become obscured by man's sins; and in
order to signify more expressly the grace of Christ, by which the
human race is sanctified. And hence the need for those things to be
determinate, of which men have to make use in the sacraments. Nor is
the way of salvation narrowed thereby: because the things which need
to be used in the sacraments, are either in everyone's possession or
can be had with little trouble.
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